Part 18

[Sidenote: The vices of K. Henrie.] His vices were these, as they are remembred. In time of aduerse fortune no man could shew himselfe more courteous, gentle, méeke, and promising more largelie than he would. But when fortune once began to smile, no man was more sharpe, hard to deale with, nor more redie to breake his promise and faith. He was also partlie noted of couetousnesse: for although he was liberall towards souldiers and strangers, yet was he streict inough towards his owne people, and namelie towards his sonnes, which caused them to estrange themselues and their good wils from him. He was not so zealous toward the execution of right and equitie as to the furtherance of his owne priuat commoditie.

[Sidenote: His incontinencie.] He was out of measure giuen to fleshlie lust, and satisfieng of his inordinate concupiscence. For not contented with the vse of his wife, he kept manie concubines, but namelie he delited most in the companie of a pleasant damsell, whom he called the Rose of the world (the common people named hir Rosamund) for hir passing beautie, propernesse of person, and pleasant wit, with other amiable qualities, being verelie a rare and péerlesse péece in those daies. [Sidenote: Rosamund his concubine.] He made for hir an house at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire, like a labyrinth, with such turnings and windings in & out as a knot in a garden called a maze, that no creature might find hir nor come to hir, except he were instructed by the king, or such as were secret with him in that matter. But the common report of the people is, that the quéene in the end found hir out by a silken thread, which the king had drawne after him out of hir chamber with his foot, and dealt with hir in such sharpe and cruell wise, that she liued not long after. She was buried in the nunrie of Goodstow beside Oxford, with these verses vpon hir toome: Hîc iacet in tumulo, Rosa mundi non Rosa munda, Non redolet sed olet, quæ redolere solet. The meaning whereof may be found in Graftons large chronicle, page 77. in an English septenarie.

[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._] Long time after the death of this damsell, in the said abbeie was shewed a cofer, that sometimes was hirs, of the length of two foot, in the which appeared giants fighting, startling of beasts, swimming of fishes, and flieng of foules, so liuelie, that a man might woonder at the fine deuise thereof.

Moreouer, king Henrie was noted not to be so fauourable to the liberties & fréedoms of the church as he might haue béene. For besides the persecuting of the foresaid Thomas archbishop of Canturburie, he would not suffer the legats sent from the pope, to enter within the bounds of his dominion, till they had sworne that they should doo nothing preiudiciall to the customes of his kingdome, neither by prescribing orders, nor any other maner of act or meanes. [Sidenote: His negligēce in aiding the Christians against the Saracens.] He was thought to be negligent in aiding the christian commonwealth in the holie land. For though he had appointed twice or thrice to go thither in person, yet being letted by light occasions, he staied at home, and sent small reléefe thither, though he was earnestlie called vpon for the same. His estimation was such amongst forren princes, that Philip king of France being newlie entred into the gouernement of that realme after his fathers deceasse, committed[14] himselfe and his kingdome to the disposition and order of king Henrie, as if he had béene regent of his realme, and gouernour of his person.

There liued in the daies of this king Henrie the second, diuerse honourable personages and capteins of great fame, for their approued valiancie and experience in warlike enterprises, as Robert earle of Leicester, Hugh bigot earle of Northfolke, Reignold earle of Cornewall, Robert Ferreis earle of Darbie, Richard Lacie, Roger Mowbray, Rafe de Fulgiers, Humfrey Bohun conestable of England, Ranulfe Glandeuille, William Vesey, & Bernard de Ballioll. [Sidenote: _Bale._] Also there flourished in his time here in this land, men of singular learning in arts and sciences, as Nicholas Breakespeare, Serlo surnamed Grammaticus, William Rheualensis, Adam de Euesham, Thomas of Munmouth, Adelbertus Leuita, Geruasius Cicestrensis, Odo Cantianus, Ealred Rhieuellensis, Johannes Sarisburiensis, Clemens Lanthoniensis, Walter Daniell, Robert Knought aliàs Camtus, Robert Folioth, William Ramsey, Senatus Brauonus, Robert the Scribe, Odo Miremouth, Hugh of Reading, Richard of Douer, William of Peterburough, Cicerciensis, Bartholomew Iscanus, and Gilbert de Sempringham, with others.

¶ And here to make an end with this high and mightie prince Henrie the second, I haue thought good to make you partaker of an epitaph, which we find in Matthew Paris and others written of him as followeth.

Epitaphium in Henricum secundum regem mortuum & hîc sepultum

Rex Henricus eram, mihi plurima regna subegi, Multiplicíq; modo dúxq; comésq; fui, Cui satis ad votum non essent omnia terræ Climata, terra modò sufficit octo pedum. Qui legis hæc, pensa discrimina mortis, & indè Humanæ specula conditionis habe. Quod potes instanter operare bonum, quia mundus Transit, & incautos mors inopina rapit

* * * * *

Aliud.

Tvmuli regis superscriptio breuis exornat, Sufficit hic tumulus, cui non suffecerat orbis, Res breuis est ampla, cui fuit ampla breuis.

* * * * *

An epitaph vpon king Henrie the second dead and heere intoomed.

Of late king Henrie was my name, which conquerd manie a land, And diuerse dukedoms did possesse, and earledoms held in hand. And yet while all the earth could scarse my greedie mind suffice, Eight foot within the ground now serues, wherein my carcase lies. Now thou that readest this, note well my force with force of death, And let that serue to shew the state of all that yeeldeth breath. Doo good then here, foreslowe no time, cast off all worldlie cares, For brittle world full soone dooth faile, and death dooth strike vnwares.

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An other.

Small epitaph now serues, to decke this toome of statelie king: And he who whilome thought whole earth could scarse his mind content, In little roome hath roome at large, that serues now life is spent.

¶ Here may be thought that the reigne of the Normans and French men ouer the realme of England tooke end, a hundred twentie two yeares after the comming in of the Conquerour; for those that reigned after this Henrie the second, we may rightlie estéeme to be Englishmen, bicause they were borne in England, and vsed the English toonge customes, and maners, according to the nature and qualitie of the countrie.

Thus farre the succession and regiment of the Frenchmen ouer this Iland; namelie, Stephan of Bullongne and Henrie the second.

Transcriber's notes

There are no footnotes in the original. The original spelling and punctuation have been retained, with the exception of obvious errors which have been corrected by reference to the 1587 edition of which the original is a transcription.

[1] Original reads 'withcraft'; corrected to 'witchcraft'.

[2] Original reads 'vpon summons giuen vnto him him'; corrected to 'vpon summons giuen vnto him'.

[3] Original reads 'M. Triuet.'; corrected to 'N. Triuet.'.

[4] Original reads 'Poloydr'; corrected to 'Polydor'.

[5] Original reads 'Fench'; corrected to 'French'.

[6] Original reads 'againt'; corrected to 'against'.

[7] The passage referred to is in this reign, An. Reg. 19, 1173.

[8] Original reads 'thorugh'; corrected to 'thorough'.

[9] Original reads 'euenth'; corrected to 'seuenth'.

[10] Original reads 'Cauturburie'; corrected to 'Canturburie'.

[11] Original reads 'Griffiin'; corrected to 'Griffin'.

[12] Original reads 'yearelelie'; corrected to 'yearelie'.

[13] Original reads 'at this this'; corrected to 'at this'.

[14] Original reads 'commmitted'; corrected to 'committed'.